WOMEN DRIVERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 184, 6 August 1935, Page 16

WOMEN DRIVERS.

MOSTLY CAPABLE. PRAISED BY OFFICERS. AMENABLE TO DISCIPLINE. Two motor cars were being driven through the Auckland Domain, one following the other on the winding downhill road. The car in front swung out widely at the bends, several times almost stopped suddenly, and finolly turned to the right into Stanley Street without any warning from its driver that it was going that way. The driver of the car was a woman. It will probably appear from the above paragraph that this article is one to show that the average woman motorist is a poor driver, but such is not the case. Women readers who are also motorists are therefore asked to read on before disgustedly turning to another page. It may be mentioned, however, that the incident of the Domain really happened and that the facts relating to it are not exaggerated. "It is my honest opinion that a woman ■■•■ho has been driving a car within the city area for a period of 12 months is every bit as good as, if not bette,: than the average man driver with a similar amount of experience," said a member of the City Council's traffic staff this morning when asked to give an opinion of Auckland's women motorists as a whole. Naturally, he said, the average woman driver's mechanical knowledge of her car would not be as wide as that of the average man, but the women could not be criticised on that point, for, with motor cars as with other things, a little knowledge could be more dangerous than none at all. In the case of a breakdown a woman motorist would usually waste little time before seeking eid from the nearest garage, but a man would more often tinker about with the engine himself for some time before calling an expert, thus possibly overstaying his time in a prohibited perking area. Officer's Admiration. "If a woman driver finds herself in trouble she usually makes up her mine quickly as to what course to take," said the traffic officer. "Personally I have a great deal of admiration for Auckland's women drivers." Another officer who was asked for his view on the 6ubject gave a reply at which no woman motorist could take offence. In general driving, he said, an average woman was no worse and no better than the average male driver. In heavy traffic she was careful, and keen to do the right thing, and was no more likely to hold up a stream of vehicles than a man. "While their general driving ability is good women drivers are inclined to be a little lax in the matter of giving signals, not only to officers on point duty but also to drivers of other vehicles," commented a third officer. On the other hand the average woman driver was more amenable to discipline than the average man, and it was more the sxcej , - tion than the rule for a woman who had failed to give a correct signal or to follow ah officer's directions to make any attempt at "back chat." For the most part women drivers were more courteous 1 than men. Further inquiries suggested that Auckland's women motorists are not as conversant with the city's parking and other by-law 3as are the men. An amusing story that may be told under this heading was related by a traffic officer who on an occasion last year was on duty in Karangahape Road, armed with "tickets" to attach to the windscreens of cars parked at an angle of more than 30 degrees. As he was sticking a ticket on one car the owner, a woman, came on the scene. It was explained to her that she had committed a breach of the parking regulations and that her angle of parking was considerably in excess of the permitted 30 degrees. "Good heavens," she exclaimed, "do you expect us to carry a thermometer around with us." The traffic officer formed the conclusion that the woman probably did her own cooking on an electric stove.

It was mentioned that women were more apt than men to leave their cars for long periods in restricted parking areas. Generally, it eeemed that they were more forgetful in this respect, while there was also a fortunate class who considered that a sma'l fine wae money well spent if their shopping could more conveniently h-s carried out. Absent-minded Man. The officer who told the etory of the woman driver and the thermometer expressed the view that women kepi, their thoughtj on fheir driving rather better than men. It was not unusual for a man, on his way home after a day in the office, and stopped by an officer for failure to give a signal, to admit frankly that he was "thinking of something else." A capital incident of an absent-minded male motorist occurred the other day, when a car was seen in the city with two dustbins perched on the front bumper. An inquiry showed that the driver had been accustomed every Friday morning to transport the tins along the length of the drive at his home on the front of his car, and that on this particular morning he had driven through hie gateway without stopping, and had forgotten all about his cargo until he had stopped in front of his office in' the city. (Shouts of glee from all women readers.) An Automobile Association official backed up the traffic officers' opinions of women drivers. In the ranks of the women, he said, there were good drivers and bad, but the same had to be said about the men. In country dietricts, particularly, there were fewer women motorists than men, and for that reason any woman who did anything to suggest that ehe was not an accomplished driver was more likely to be remembered than if she had been a man. Any sweeping condemnation of women drivers as a whole,, he considered, was unfair.